Called by the Crows, Reunion of the Fallen
by cradle
Summary: Crows have brought me the omen of death, just like they did with Mom. And when Mugen almost died before. Please, don't die on me you jerk!


Ok, this started as a creative writing project I'm gonna turn into a fanfic. WEE… cough ahem… well anyway, we had these lines, story starters, and we had to use them to start a story (duh)… I ended up deciding to use "Fear engulfed me with every step…"

_Called by the Crows_

_---Reunion of the Fallen_

Fear engulfed me with every step he took towards me. His sword drug behind him in his limp bloodied hand. I was nearly in tears by the time he was close enough for me to see some of the details of his face. I had known all along I'd see this stray dog again. "Mugen," traced my lips as I tried to speak. My hands were drawn up to my mouth. I felt the hot tears streak down my face. They cascaded to the ground. My weakened knees longed to fall with them but my body was drawn towards the mangled mess. My hands fell to my side as I was close enough for him to see me. He had kept a defeated gaze at the ground where his blurred vision led him to the town where we'd first meet. He glanced from my feet and slowly upwards. He really hadn't seen me the entire time he'd been walking into town. The tears continued to fall. He meet my eyes and I immediately quit breathing. "Why are you crying?" He choked out. His lips were laced with blood. In a rush a grabbed onto him. I wrapped my arms tightly around him. "Why would I be crying?" I joked slightly with him. My face was buried in his chest smelling of sweat and blood. His body was so weak. How had he even managed to get this far into town, even if he had started at the town's edge he shouldn't had been able to get here. Where had he come from? Who did this to him? I heard the sword behind him drop and the soft crash was heard all around in the silent, nearly empty street. His arms lightly wrapped around me. He slipped his fingers though my hair causing me to look up at him. His eyes, bloodshot and tired, reflected my look of pure terror. Mugen looked so dead. I couldn't stop crying. Then, he collapsed unto me. I fell back and he landed in my lap. I couldn't move him, let alone myself now. We just stayed there for a while. I stoked his hair as he seemed to sleep. I prayed all the time he wasn't dead. I kept repeating his name, "Mugen… Mugen… Mugen…"

I must have either fallen asleep or severely zoned out. I don't remember how I made it back to my house with Mugen, but I found myself curled up in the floor of a my little place. I forced myself up to sit. My kimono was stained red and my arms and face were caked with the same crimson shade. I looked across the room to Mugen who was sprawled out on the floor like he normally would be. My first thoughts, Don't be dead! I scrambled across the floor to him. It had been nearly two years since I'd seen him and now, to see him like this, it felt worse then after the time when we parted. I remember I waited for days at the end of the road to see if Mugen or Jin would turn around. I was so close I could fall on him, I saw him breathing lightly. I sighed in relief and forced myself to my feet. My thoughts came back, how did I get here? I wandered into the other room. The scent of blood make my nose sting. "I've got to go and get some water." I spoke softly and walked outside to the well. There was someone here! Resting against on old tree completely shadowing his upper body. He was dressed like a samurai. I walked over to him. He'd best not be a bum! I glanced into the darkness of the shade. I couldn't see. I kicked at his leg, "Hey, what are you doing here? I'm not running and inn you know." I heard him snoring. "Hey!" I leaned into the darkness and pulled him out into the light. "I said…" my commanding voice dropped out suddenly. Jin was back!

His eyes opened slowly behind the glasses he always wore. He looked up into my eyes. I was still gripping his kimono tightly. "Jin, is it really you?" "Yes." his answer was short and dull. He was just like always. "What are you doing here?" I dropped him and stood back. He looked at my blood covered body. "I followed Mugen." I immediately turned around. I didn't care to see his face. "Did you do it then?" He didn't answer me. "Did you try to kill Mugen?" There was a pause. "I have no reason to kill him." "Then who hurt him?" I spun quickly and lost my balance. I hadn't noticed I was crying until now when the drops crashed into the dirt. I wiped my face only resulting in a long red-brown smear. "Why are you here?" I asked him again as a walked to the well. "I had no purpose. I just felt like following him." I splashed the ice cold water onto my face. "That's all, huh?" I sounded disappointed and a know I did. I kind of had hoped he came back to see me. I filled a bucket full of water and began to walk inside. I got to the door and didn't bother to look back to the samurai. "You can come in you know. You're always welcome here." I walked into the room with Mugen. I took a rag and soaked it laying it across his forehead. I left the room for a second and I heard Jin sit down in the room where Mugen was. I changed out of my clothes and into a blue flower printed kimono. I returned to the two. Jin sat near the doorway closest to the back of the room. I walked over to Mugen with a few more rags. I knelt by his side. Slowly I reached to pull off his shirt. I was afraid to peel it back. What would I see? Numerous cuts I was sure. Possibly infected. I was disgusted by the thought. Still, I have to do this. I lied down my rags and with both hands peeled away the shirt that clung to his mangled body. I turned my face fearing I'd throw up. "Jin, can you help me please?" I was starting to cry. I heard my voice cracking. He walked over to the other side of Mugen. I could tell he was disgusted as well but he forced up his body and pulled his shirt back off of him. He laid him back carefully. I heard Mugen make a painful groan. His eyes squinted open and he looked at us. He seemed to smirk and go back to sleep. I let a few tears slip by and began to wash his cuts.

I spent the day cleaning and bandaging. I had to stop a lot and I cried. Why did it hurt me so much to see him like this? He was always such a jerk to me. Jin had been just as big a jerk yet he seemed upset about it too. Probably because he wouldn't get the chance to kill him in a sword fight. I closed my eyes and laid back on the grass outside my home. Jin was under the tree again. The whole day Mugen hadn't spoken, he wouldn't eat or drink. He seemed so unlike himself. "Hey, Jin. Do you know what happened to him?" I asked. "I'm not sure." "But, you were following him, right? That's what you said." "I never came within any close contact with him. I hardly saw him. I only followed his path." "The one," I began to choke on tears again, "left by his sword?" There was a little wait and I covered my eyes with my arm. "Yes." So Jin followed him after he was beaten. I hated this. I fell asleep outside only to by tormented more by my nightmares.

The morning came quickly as the birds rang loudly in my ears. I'd slept outside all night. I sat forward in the grass. It was a gray, depressing day. The crows screamed and flew over head. Some rested on my roof. Jin was still sleeping behind me at the tree. I made my way inside. Mugen was sitting up fiddling with the bandages around his waist. He made groaning sound here and there as I stood there watching. He made it though the night. I walked in and stood by his side. He looked up at me. I was smiling so wide my face hurt but I didn't look down at him. If I did I was sure my expression would change. He looked back down to the bandages. "They're too tight, Fuu." He said. His voice was just as weak as two days ago. He pulled at the red stained cloth. I sighed. If he were his normal self he'd have ripped them off by now. He looked as helpless as a child tugging stupidly at them. "Here," I bend down beside him, "let me see." I twisted my fingers through the cloth and unwrapped his body. I laid the bloody mess on the floor. "You ok?" I question stupidly. Of course he's not. He's been out for two days and a bloody wreck. He tilted his head and looked up and out of a window. "I'm fine." A crow landed in my window ceil. He just looked at it. I couldn't tell what he was thinking. "You hungry? Or thirsty?" I asked him. He just barely nodded. "Right." Or course he is. I rushed into the other and started to cook as Jin decided to walk into the room. I made dumplings. It was all I really had at hand. I was on my way shopping when I ran into him. Then I remember I hadn't eaten since then either. And probably not Jin. "Jin, could go to the market and get some food?" "Sure." "My purse is by my bed in the other room." I pointed around the wall to the room across from Mugen. He was sitting up scratching at his wounds. I walked in with what I had. " Here." I said and sat them by his side. "You know, you shouldn't do that. You'll open up your wounds again." He made a gruff, "Yeah." He started to eat. Jin was gone and I realized I needed new bandages. "I'll be back soon." I said and rushed out of the hut. Mugen didn't mind he just sat back against the wall. I half ran to find Jin before her spent all the money. I didn't have much at it was. "Jin!" I called as he came into site. I reached his side. "I need some of the money. Just enough for bandages." He gave me just enough. I looked for someone selling medical supplies. There was a man about six stands down. I walked over to him and the thunder crashed. Great, now it was going to rain. I sighed and looked at him. An old guy with white hair. "How many can I get with this?" I handed him my money and waited as he pulled out two rolls of the white cotton wraps. "Here you go, Ma'am." "Thank you." I took them and began to walk back home. Jin wasn't in site. He must have gone to a cheaper stand. Nothing seemed to be missing from the one where we stood earlier. I walked home somewhat slow. The rain began to trickle down. I slipped the bandages into my kimono. They won't help much if they're wet. Just give him a rash is all. I reached my place and slipped inside. Mugen was laying in the floor. "You asleep?" I asked quietly. No response. He had only ate half the dumplings. I laid out my supplies and looked at him. I'll just wait until Jin comes back. The old black crow still sat in my window. I turned away from it and sat by Mugen's side. "Hey Mugen." He didn't respond to me. "Get up you bum! I've got something to say to you!." Still he didn't move. "Hey!" I shook him. And then I realized it… he wasn't breathing.

I froze up. I didn't breath. "Oh, God. God no! Please, Mugen get up." I shook and held his arm. I felt like collapsing. "Mugen, come on. This has gone on long enough, just… Cut it out!" I started to cry as I yelled at him. I held him close to me. I sat him up and held him like before. "Mugen I…. I love you. Wake up for me please?" I cried into his chest. I heard him cough and laugh a little and I held him back. "Heh, I got ya." He looked at me with his half opened eyes and smirked a little at me. Jin came into the room. "What's wrong?" He'd heard me screaming. Mugen looked up at the roof where a little leak had started. I held him back from me by his shoulders still. My face dropped down and I looked at the floor. "You jerk! You gave me a heart attack. I thought you'd died!" I flung my face up at him and tears flew everywhere. "I thought you were dead! It wasn't funny!" I screamed. I had to hold back from slapping him. I let go if him and sat back. "Should have," he coughed, "seen the look on your face." The birds kept screaming on the roof. Jin whispered something I couldn't hear. "Damn birds." Mugen cursed at them. He tried to raise his voice but it only hurt him. I reached for his sword and I grabbed his wrist. He stopped and I let go. He let his hand fall to his side. I saw his body become limp. "Mugen it's not funny!" I said. His eyes looked like the half open eyes of a dead man. They looked at Jin and then back at me. Then he looked up to the leak on the ceiling. "I'll see you guys in hell." His body fell forward and at the last instant his eyes met mine. I sat in pure terror as he crashed into my body. "Mugen… Mugen…" I shook and my face was turned to the roof looking at nothing in particular. "MUGEN!" My voice echoed though the town. I held him once more… one last time. "They were calling him. The crows." I looked outside with my own half dead eyes. The rain had stopped and the snow was starting to fall. It was the end of autumn and the innumerous black crows were all you could see against the falling white.

We buried Mugen in my yard under the old tree. I never ever remember having seen the old thing bloom before but the next spring the most beautiful cherry blossoms fell around his grave. I marked it with his sword and tied his old shirt around it. I didn't see anymore crows after that day. "Why do you think he died?" I asked for the thousandth time since he passed away. Jin sat beside me in the yard by the well. "I don't know." he answered back. I just smiled and looked at the sky. "Do you really think he went to hell then?" "Do you want and honest answer?" I looked at the sky more. It was a crystal clear blue. "I know what you'll say anyway, but yes." "I think he did. He was a killer." I leaned against his shoulder. "And do you think we'll meet him there after it's all over?" Jin didn't answer right away. "Do you want to go to hell then?" "No, not really. Because I think Mugen isn't there. I did love him, you know." He just nodded. "Don't get so quiet on me. I love you to!" I laughed and we watched the sky together. For an instant, just a flash, I swear I saw a black winged angel far off… "He's just waiting on the reunion of the fallen. He might not be in heaven either, you know. Your both just a couple of jerks." I smiled and wrapped one arm around his shoulders. "Well, your going to have to stay here with me now!"

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What did you think? I know the ending sucked. I'm horrible at them… for once I wanted to try a happy ending. I'm better at it when it ends with someone dying…kinda twisted, huh? Please review!


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